Join the Third Season of the Visionary Accelerator “Vidvazhna”: 6 Million UAH for the Digital Transformation of Women’s Businesses

Applications are now open for the new season of the national women’s visionary accelerator “Vidvazhna 3. Digital Evolution of Businesses.” The program is designed for active women entrepreneurs who seek to transform their businesses—from basic digital processes to strategic automation and entering new markets. This year’s financial support pool amounts to 6 million UAH.

“With the launch of the Diia.Business national project, we aimed to build a support ecosystem so that every entrepreneur could access knowledge, tools, and opportunities for growth. Today, Diia.Business provides resources at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from ideas and export to consultations and support programs. One of them is the national ‘Vidvazhna’ accelerator, which has already brought together 8,000 women in two seasons, with 49 female entrepreneurs receiving grants totaling 6.5 million UAH for business development. The new season—‘Vidvazhna 3. Digital Evolution of Business’—targets seasoned entrepreneurs who want to automate processes, implement modern digital solutions, and transform business models. It supports those who already have experience but strive to become more tech-driven and innovative,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation.

The new season focuses on enhancing businesses’ digital maturity and introducing innovative technologies. Eligible participants include:

women owners of small and medium-sized businesses;
experienced entrepreneurs who need support in implementing technologies;
women aiming to enter new markets, particularly in Europe.

“Thanks to the Diia.Business national project, we have achieved significant success in supporting SMEs across Ukraine and even beyond. The platform has already been visited by over 14.7 million users, offering free consultations on over 60 topics and over 480 financial opportunities via its marketplace. We have opened 15 Diia.Business centers across Ukraine and one in Warsaw to support Ukrainians relocated to Poland. One of our key focuses is women’s entrepreneurship, as women now play a crucial role in business growth and sustaining the economy. That is why, together with partners, we launched ‘Vidvazhna.’ The first season was revolutionary, being the first large-scale project dedicated to women’s entrepreneurship. The second season showed growing demand. To stay relevant and help businesses scale, we have updated the format and training program and are ready to welcome participants to ‘Vidvazhna 3.’ Running a business during wartime requires extraordinary courage, and this season will provide a platform to gain up-to-date knowledge, exchange experiences, and discover new opportunities for business growth, digital transformation, and resilience,” said Valeriia Ionan, Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalization, and Global Partnerships.

Training will take place in two formats:

National Lecture Series (online lectures from leading digital transformation experts). The program includes interactive sessions, Q&As, and case studies that will help participants immediately apply the knowledge in their business operations. Participation in the lecture series is open to all upon submission of an application.
Advanced Lecture Series (an intensive program for business digitalization with individual mentoring). Selection is competitive, requiring a digital maturity test and a motivation letter.

Participation formats include:

Offline bootcamps at 11 Diia.Business centers for entrepreneurship support (in Bucha, Lutsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Poltava, Odesa, and Kryvyi Rih). Participants will work in small groups, exchange experiences, and receive support from experts.
Virtual bootcamps for entrepreneurs in locations without offline centers, with full online access to training, consultations, and mentoring.

“A competitive business today is impossible without effective implementation of digital technologies. In the third season of ‘Vidvazhna,’ we are for the first time launching an online digital maturity test for companies based on European methodology. It will help entrepreneurs objectively assess their businesses and build a roadmap for digital transformation. However, the program goes far beyond diagnostics—it creates an environment where participants have access to the knowledge, tools and support necessary to implement modern technologies. This allows them not only to learn but also to immediately apply new solutions, reduce risks, and accelerate development. ‘Vidvazhna 3’ is more than an educational project; it is a support system where knowledge is combined with practice, and ambitions are supported by effective tools. And most importantly, the digitalization of women-led businesses means not only more sustainable companies but also the emergence of new business models and innovative approaches that shape the modern economy of Ukraine and pave the way to international markets,” said Artem Platonov, Director of the Directorate for Digital Skills Development and Digitalization of Education at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

The 14-week program will combine theory, practice, and mentorship for bootcamp participants, structured around four blocks: Digital Age Thinking, Digital Transformation Technologies, Security & Digital Infrastructure, and Digital Change Management.

“When businesses adopt digital solutions, they become more flexible, swift, and scalable. ‘Vidvazhna 3’ equips women entrepreneurs with knowledge and support to implement these changes efficiently. Women-led businesses in Ukraine have strong potential, and digital tools can multiply their impact. Therefore, it is important for us that the experience gained during training facilitates business development even after completing the program,” said Andrii Remizov, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office.

Each participant will be offered an opportunity to take the European Digital Maturity Matrix-based test to define her starting point. Based on test results, entrepreneurs will receive personalized roadmaps with recommendations for further business development. Taking this test is obligatory for participation in the Advanced Lecture Series.

“Today, digital technologies have permeated all areas of life, becoming critical for business success. That is why this year, the ‘Vidvazhna’ accelerator focuses on digital transformation of women-led businesses. As a global leader in digital payments, Visa offers modern payment technologies as an effective growth tool for small and medium-sized businesses. According to our survey among SMEs, 76% of companies saw an increase in revenue and footfall after the adoption of cashless payments. Small businesses, especially those led by women, are the driving force of the Ukrainian economy, so supporting them is of strategic importance. For five years, Visa has been implementing the global She’s Next initiative for female entrepreneurs in Ukraine, giving thousands of Ukrainian women access to knowledge, resources, and an international platform for women business leaders from 17 countries. Now, we are supporting the ‘Vidvazhna’ accelerator for the third time. I am confident that the new season of the program will become a powerful impetus for innovative development for Ukrainian female entrepreneurs,” said Tetiana Chorna, Visa Vice President, Country Manager for Ukraine.

Based on the training results, 14 semifinalists will each receive 300,000 UAH for scaling and digital transformation of their businesses. In addition, three participants of the National Lecture Series will receive 100,000 UAH each (subject to completing the digital maturity test and submitting the final presentation).

The season will culminate in a Grand Pitch Day, where 10 finalists will compete for the grand prize of 1.5 million UAH for further business growth and the implementation of modern digital solutions.

“The participation of the IT Ukraine Association in the ‘Vidvazhna 3’ is our contribution to the formation of a generation of female entrepreneurs who confidently implement digital solutions. We believe that technologies can accelerate business growth, open ways to new markets, and make the Ukrainian economy stronger. Our goal is to help Ukrainian female entrepreneurs fulfill this potential,” said Mariia Shevchuk, Executive Director of the IT Ukraine Association.

In addition, the program will include a psychological module to analyze and develop the participants’ entrepreneurial mindset. The program's technological partners will also provide special offers, including exclusive terms for using the solutions of the “Vchasno” electronic document management service and free access to the tools by SendPulse (CRM, email newsletters, chatbots and other services for business development) throughout the entire training.

The main winner will also receive a separate grant of 200,000 UAH to use SendPulse tools for a year. This will become an additional resource for business scaling and implementing modern digital solutions.

Learn more and apply via the program’s landing page. Applications are open until September 17, 2025 (23:59).

Over two previous seasons, “Vidvazhna” united more than 8,000 women entrepreneurs nationwide. Season 1, with a grant pool of 1.3 million UAH, helped women start and grow their businesses, while season 2, with 5.2 million UAH of financial support, enabled scaling and digitalization for dozens of companies. Today, “Vidvazhna” is the largest national platform for the development of women’s entrepreneurship, shaping a new generation of Ukraine’s women digital leaders.

The new season of the “Vidvazhna 3. Digital Evolution of Businesses” visionary female accelerator is implemented by the Diia.Business network of entrepreneur support centers in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office with the assistance of UNDP in Ukraine and financial support from the Government of Japan within the “Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine" project and the global initiative She's Next Empowered by Visa, in partnership with the IT Ukraine Association.